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A Comprehensive Narrative Review of Potential Gastrointestinal Adverse Effects From Micro(nano) Plastic Exposure
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This narrative review synthesizes evidence on gastrointestinal adverse effects of micro- and nanoplastic exposure, examining how these particles interact with gut microbiota, mucosal barriers, and immune tissue to contribute to inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, and colorectal cancer risk.
Exposure to plastics is unavoidable part of everyday life due to its ubiquitous use in consumer products, containers, and packaging. Discarded plastics degrade into microplastics (<5 μm) and nanoplastics (< 1μm), which are released into water, soil, and air, thereby reaching most life forms. In humans, these particles are primarily ingested, entering the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where they interact with gut microbiota, immune tissue, and mucosal barriers, contributing to inflammation and neoplastic effects. To date, exposure to micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) has been primarily linked to inflammatory bowel disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and multiple GI cancers. These processes are driven by MNPs induced inflammation, immune dysregulation, and carcinogenesis. This review covers the existing evidence regarding MNP exposure and GI harm, while also highlighting the need for further research, increased public awareness, and developed of public health strategies to mitigate plastic exposures and health impacts.
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Impact of micro- and nanoplastics on gastrointestinal diseases: Recent advances
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This review summarizes how micro- and nanoplastics can harm the digestive system by causing oxidative stress, inflammation, cell death, and disruption of gut bacteria. These connected pathways can damage the intestinal lining and may contribute to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how everyday plastic exposure through food and water could affect gut health over time.
Micro(nano)plastics and their potential impact on human gut health: a narrative review
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This narrative review synthesizes evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect the human gut, discussing ingestion routes, gut barrier interactions, microbiome disruption, and potential systemic health effects.
Orally Ingested Micro- and Nano-Plastics: A Hidden Driver of Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Colorectal Cancer.
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This review synthesizes evidence linking ingested micro- and nano-plastics to inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer risk, proposing that microplastics act as a hidden driver of gut inflammation in vulnerable populations. The authors argue that intestinal accumulation of microplastics triggers immune and oxidative stress pathways that contribute to disease progression.
[Effect of microand nanoplastics on the gastrointestinal mucosa and intestinal microbiome].
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics entering through the food chain affect the gastrointestinal tract, finding evidence of disruption to gut mucosal integrity and intestinal microbiome composition, with implications for digestive health and systemic immune function.
Dietary Intake of Micro- and Nanoplastics: Potential Adverse GI Effects on Microbiome, Inflammation, and Neoplasia
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Tiny plastic particles from our food and packaging are showing up in human stool and even colon tissue, and this review pulls together research suggesting they may disrupt gut bacteria, weaken the gut's protective lining, and trigger inflammation—effects that have been loosely linked to conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer. It's important to note this is a summary of existing lab and early clinical studies, not new proof that plastics cause these diseases in people—scientists say we still need larger human studies to confirm the connection and figure out if cutting plastic exposure actually improves gut health.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.